The present invention relates to a molding made of expanded bead foam, wherein at least one fiber (F) is partly within the molding, i.e. is surrounded by the expanded bead foam. The two ends of the respective fibers (F) that are not surrounded by the expanded bead foam thus each project from one side of the corresponding molding. The present invention further provides a panel comprising at least one such molding and at least one further layer (S1). The present invention further provides processes for producing the moldings of the invention from expanded bead foam or the panels of the invention and for the use thereof, for example as rotor blade in wind turbines.

The instant application discloses, among other things, ways to manufacture reduced density thermoplastics. A rapid foaming process which may create a polymer product by saturating thermoplastic sheet or preforms, heating, and then forming into final shape, is described. The polymer product may include an integral solid skin. This method may be utilized with any thermoplastic. The material handling, saturation methods, and end products are also described.

The invention relates to a molding composed of extruded foam, wherein at least one fiber (F) is present with a fiber region (FB2) within the molding and is surrounded by the extruded foam, while a fiber region (FB1) of the fiber (F) projects from a first side of the molding and a fiber region (FB3) of the fiber (F) projects from a second side of the molding, and the extruded foam is produced by an extrusion process comprising the following steps: I) providing a polymer melt in an extruder, II) introducing at least one blowing agent into the polymer melt provided in step I) to obtain a foamable polymer melt, III) extruding the foamable polymer melt obtained in step II) from the extruder through at least one die aperture into an area at lower pressure, with expansion of the foamable polymer melt to obtain an expanded foam, and IV) calibrating the expanded foam from step III) by conducting the expanded foam through a shaping tool to obtain the extruded foam.

The present invention relates to a molding made from foam, wherein at least one fiber (F) is partly within the molding, i.e. is surrounded by the foam. The two ends of the respective fibers (F) that are not surrounded by the foam thus each project from one side of the corresponding molding. The foam comprises at least two mutually bonded foam segments.

In an injection molded product of the invention, an unevenness forming portion having unevenness formed by thermal expansion of thermally expandable capsules is formed. The injection molded product includes a highly expanded portion that is formed at a surface side of the unevenness forming portion in a thickness direction of the injection molded product and in which the thermally expandable capsules are thermally expanded, and a main body portion that is a portion adjacent to the highly expanded portion in the thickness direction and in which the thermally expandable capsules are substantially not thermally expanded. The thickness of the highly expanded portion is a half or smaller than the thickness of the injection molded product in the unevenness forming portion, and a polymer material of the highly expanded portion and a polymer material of the main body portion are the same polymer material.

A process for manufacturing products made of foamed polymeric material, comprising the following steps: generating, via software, a virtual model (M) of a product to be manufactured in a solid foamable polymeric material; performing a topological optimization via software of the virtual model (M) in order to obtain an optimized virtual model (MO) with areas of differentiated relative density; preparing the foamable polymeric material and inserting it in a mold (1); solubilizing, under pressure, at least one foaming agent in the foamable polymeric material placed in the mold (1) with a pressure profile of the foaming agent variable over time and/or space as a function of the topological optimization; releasing the pressure in order to obtain a product (S) made of foamed polymeric material provided with the above-mentioned areas of differentiated relative density; removing the product (S) made of foamed polymeric material from the mold (1).

A method for producing a molded part, in particular a component of a sporting good, includes providing a mixture of a polymer melt and a foaming agent and injecting the mixture into a mold. The method includes solidifying at least a first portion of the molded part without foaming and at least a second portion of the molded part after foaming inside the mold, wherein the mixture includes a polymer having an average molecular mass corresponding to a viscosity number ≥130 ml/g, preferably ≥170 ml/g, more preferably ≥190 ml/g and most preferably ≥225 ml/g, wherein the viscosity number is determined via solution viscometry according to the ISO 307 standard.

A method for producing a molded part, in particular a component of a sporting good, includes providing a mixture of a polymer melt and a foaming agent and injecting the mixture into a mold. The method includes solidifying at least a first portion of the molded part without foaming and at least a second portion of the molded part after foaming inside the mold, wherein the mixture includes a polymer having an average molecular mass corresponding to a viscosity number ≥130 ml/g, preferably ≥170 ml/g, more preferably ≥190 ml/g and most preferably ≥225 ml/g, wherein the viscosity number is determined via solution viscometry according to the ISO 307 standard.

The application relates to a method and apparatus for producing a solid foam continuously. A homogeneous suspension is formed from a raw material in which the suspension comprises a solidifying agent, and a foam mixture which comprises bubbles is formed by mixing air bubbles into the suspension. The foam mixture is injected via at least one nozzle to form a foam pattern and the foam pattern is laid on a moving surface and the foam mixture of the foam pattern is solidified in order to form a solid foam such that the bubbles of the foam mixture shrink in off-length directions to form the shaped bubbles. Further, the application relates to the product and the use of the method.

The present invention provides a process for producing a blow-molded foam including foamed cells, the process including: kneading a polyolefin-based resin containing a foaming agent mixed therewith in an extruder, and extruding a parison formed of the polyolefin-based resin between split mold blocks from a die slit at an extrusion rate of 700 kg/h or more.